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Stetson Law students and their professor write amicus brief with NWF for U.S. Supreme Court case

Two Stetson University College of Law students and their environmental law professor worked with the National Wildlife Federation to prepare an amicus brief in a wetlands case being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in January. » Read the amicus brief

(L-R): Professor Royal Gardner, Bill Mitch, Jan Goldman-Carter and student Marc Shumaker traveled to the Supreme Court on Jan. 15 to hear oral arguments in an important wetlands case.

Stetson second-year student Marc Shumaker and third-year law student Erin Okuno helped prepare the brief with Stetson law professor Royal Gardner and NWF attorney Jan Goldman-Carter. Shumaker and Gardner observed oral arguments at the high court on Jan. 15.

The case could impact wetlands across the country.

“Assisting with the amicus brief was an exciting and unique experience,” said Okuno. “It was incredible to work on a brief that was actually sent to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

The St. Johns River Water Management District is responsible for preserving and managing Florida’s vital water resources in all or part of 18 counties throughout the northeast and east–central part of the state.

The amicus brief, filed by Gardner and Goldman-Carter on behalf of 12 distinguished wetland scientists, academics and professionals, is a science-based brief. It describes the critical ecosystem services that wetlands provide to people, businesses and communities; the importance of “no net loss” of wetland functions; and the need for accountability in the loss and gain of wetland functions.

“There is no excuse to continue to allow wetland losses, now that we know how effective wetlands are in providing clean water and other essential services,” said Joy B. Zedler, past chair of the National Research Council Committee on Mitigating Wetland Losses Committee, and one of the amicus parties.